Rare RNF213 variants in the C-terminal region encompassing the RING-finger domain are associated with moyamoya angiopathy in Caucasians

Moyamoya angiopathy (MMA) is a cerebral angiopathy affecting the terminal part of internal carotid arteries. Its prevalence is 10 times higher in Japan and Korea than in Europe. In East Asian countries, moyamoya is strongly associated to the R4810K variant in the RNF213 gene that encodes for a protein containing a RING-finger and two AAA+ domains. This variant has never been detected in Caucasian MMA patients, but several rare RNF213 variants have been reported in Caucasian cases. Using a collapsing test based on exome data from 68 European MMA probands and 573 ethnically matched controls, we showed a significant association between rare missense RNF213 variants and MMA in European patients (odds ratio (OR) = 2.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (1.19-4.11), P = 0.01). Variants specific to cases had higher pathogenicity predictive scores (median of 24.2 in cases versus 9.4 in controls, P = 0.029) and preferentially clustered in a C-terminal hotspot encompassing the RING-finger domain of RNF213 (Po10(-3)). This association was even stronger when restricting the analysis to childhood-onset and familial cases (OR = 4.54, 95% CI = (1.80-11.34), P = 1.1 x 10(-3)). All clinically affected relatives who were genotyped were carriers. However, the need for additional factors to develop MMA is strongly suggested by the fact that only 25% of mutation carrier relatives were clinically affected.